KUALA LUMPUR: Several MCA leaders have 'pooh-poohed' the claim by party vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pic) that he was a victim of political and character assassination from within the party.

Party Central Committee member Datuk Chong Jit Chew said he did not think there were quarters in the party out to get Liow.

PETALING JAYA: The Attorney-General (A-G) Chambers will charge an engineer with Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) Low Jenn Dong on Monday over Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ).

A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said more people would be charged with few more individuals expected to be arrested next week.

Former general manager of Port Klang Authority (PKA) Datin Paduka Oi Choo Phang, better known as OC Phang along with architect Bernard Tan and KDSB chief operating officer Steven Abok were charged Thursday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA is likely to hold fresh party polls at the end of March, given that the feuding factions are now coming to terms to end the animosity.

The decision on the polls is expected to be made at the party's election committee meeting set for tomorrow (Monday). The committee was formed last week and is headed by MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek.

Sources said that the earlier the party polls are held, the better it is for the party - as the new leadership picked by delegates could then pursue the party's objectives without any hindrance.

PETALING JAYA: The MCA central committee (CC) is expected to take the safest path which would see a status quo in its leadership line-up as well as calming the present internal feud.

Sources said CC members, a majority still aligned to president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, were expected to vote for fresh party election in March or later to allow for a sort of 'cooling period'.

The source said they were also expected to decide whether to automatically admit the party Youth and Wanita wings chiefs into the high-powered presidential council.

 

MCA leaders are calling for investigations by a panel into the ‘’snoop squad’’ to be made public to satisfy members, especially those who were called as witnesses Datuk Yap Pian Hon, in agreeing with the call made by deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, said he wanted to know the “whole thing because I was one of the witnesses”.

 

THE Malaysian Association of Youth Clubs (MAYC) will get new leaders below the age of 40 when it holds its annual general assembly in February next year.

The old committee members, headed by former Home Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, will bow out when the AGM endorses the new young line-up.

The changing of guards had affected all youth association in the country in 2007 when registrations of youth associations fell under the Youth and Sports Ministry, no longer under the Registrar of Societies.

THE MCA is the focus now that Umno has just concluded successfully its annual general assembly (AGM).

While Barisan Nasional (BN) is picking up the pieces to regain its credibility and image, MCA seems to be dragging its feet.

Wrestling with internal credibility and image problems, the Chinese-based party, the second largest in BN, is walking a tight-rope.

Umno seems to have solved its problems and its members’ spirit seem to have been rejuvenated as reflected at the end of its assembly on Saturday.

UMNO delegates some 2,600 of them will meet tomorrow and on Friday to debate and adopt amendments to the party constitution that are aimed at eliminating money politics and abuse of power during party elections.

The amendments were mooted by Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak when opening the party’s Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings last year, just before taking over as president from Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

UMNO elections - from division-level right up to national level - will be held on the same day if a proposal to amend its constitution is accepted by delegates at an extra-ordinary general assembly (EGM) on Oct 23.
The proposal is aimed at eliminating money politics that reached an extraordinary level during April's party polls.

FULL STORY IN MALAY MAIL PRINT COPY TODAY

THE verbal spat between Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Pasir Mas MP Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali has taken a new twist.

Red paint was splashed on Ibrahim's posters in Pasir Mas town and at the State stadium. The posters were to invite constituents and members of the public to Ibrahim's open house. This is the second time paint has been splashed on his posters.

 

THE fight in MCA between two “tigers” is expected to be a long drawn affair with both sides trying to outdo each other just like in a chess game.

 

Expelled party deputy president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek’s followers pushed for an extra-ordinary general assembly (EGM) aimed at reinstating him to his position and passing a vote of no confidence against president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

THE Home Ministry has directed its officers to begin investigations into claims by MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu that the Malay Mail had published articles that caused MIC to look like a caste-based party.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the issue was raised by Human Resources Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam at the Cabinet meeting yesterday.

“I have asked the ministry’s officers to investigate immediately after the matter was raised at the Cabinet meeting.”  Hishammuddin said any action to be taken would depend on the report from the officers.

 

A SENIOR Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer named in a letter handed to the coroner presiding over the Teoh Beng Hock death inquest two days ago will be called up for questioning.

 

Police sources told the Malay Mail this would be part of the investigations ordered by coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas.

SELANGOR is set for a battle royale between the State government and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), with both parties refusing to back down on the controversial issue of prohibiting State officials from giving statements to the anti-graft body after office hours.

Senior executive councillor Teresa Kok told Malay Mail yesterday that Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's directive for all meetings or interviews with MACC office

 

THE Permatang Pasir State by election will see Pas supporters divided given the verbal clashes between the party and its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners the past few months.

 

The disagreements were over serious issues that touched on fundamentals of the parties such as the pig abattoir case in Kedah and the beer selling issue in Selangor, sensitivities that touched the hearts of Malays in Umno and the majority of Pas members.

SELANGOR exco member Ronnie Liu may have jumped the gun by claiming that the row over beer sales has been resolved.

The State Pas yesterday maintained its stand on the banning of beer sales in Malay majority areas — even if it has agreed to give Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim the one-month grace period to allow convenience stores to self-regulate the sale of beer to ensure the beverage is not sold to Muslims and minors.

State Pas information chief Roslan Shahir said it was giving Khalid one month “to put his decision into action”.

BOTH GMI and Perkasa have promised orderliness in the rallies they organise. GMI secretary E. Nalini said the rally would be peaceful with guidelines, as posted on the rally's blog (http://himpunanmansuhisa.wordpress. com/), to be observed.

Among others, the guidelines specify items that participants can or cannot bring, and things that they need to do before, during and after the rally.

CITY Hall will know whether the government quarters at Jalan San Peng is safe when it gets the consultants report on the sinkholes today.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail said City Hall and Public Works Department (PWD) consultants were compiling the report.

"Only then will we know whether the quarters are safe for occupancy," he said when asked about the sinkholes
that occurred on Saturday evening, causing 22 families to be evacuated.

THE legal fraternity is of the view that an inquest is the best avenue to investigate the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Responding to Lim Kit Siang's claim that the Royal Commission of Inquiry should be entrusted with looking into the causes of Teoh's death as well, criminal lawyer Surjan Singh said this was the role of an inquest.